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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Well, you might already know I love linen, and if you didn't know it, you know it now. (Wink.)

SO...Ever since I made a burlap wreath this past winter, modeled after how my friend Jen at Candlelit Cottage did hers, I have been thinking about using this same idea, only with linen. (Of course!) The original idea was to use an wire hanger and feed the burlap through it. But the whole time I was doing it, I kept thinking how beautiful it would look with linen...

Now I know that burlap has holes in its weave, which makes it a natural for this project. BUT linen is more loosely woven than many fabrics...and the amazing thing is, this actually works!

What you will need:

A wire hanger

Pliers

Wire cutters (I used vise grips. Whatever you use, they just need to be strong enough to cut a hanger!)

Linen, or linen "look alike"~ about 2-4 yards, depending.

Ribbon or fabric for ribbon (optional)

I will admit, it was taking so much fabric to make this I didn't know if I should even share this, as it could potentially get quite expensive. Then I thought of something: if you use a coupon or buy linen on sale at Joann's for example, it is cheaper, about 7.50 a yard if you can get it half off. BUT, if you buy the linen "look-alike" they sell, and use a coupon, it is only about 3.75 a yard. And who would ever know it was "fake" linen, with it torn into strips for this wreath? :) So I decided to show you this after all!

Now I'm all about details, so this little tutorial might seem a bit overkill for a simple wreath; but if there is any thing that drives me crazy, it's a two sentence description of how to do something.

(Small disclaimer here: most of these pictures are not as nice as I would have liked. Our dark, rainy weather was not cooperating.)

For a nice, full wreath, make sure to wash your fabric, and tumble dry. For this project, you actually want wrinkled, crumpled linen! I know it sounds weird, but when you iron it and try to use it for this wreath, it all just kind of flattens together and it doesn't look right.

(This happened to me at first. I was just kind of figuring this out as I went along.)

Rip your fabric into three to four inch width strips. I will admit, tearing linen was a little more work than other fabric, but tearing it gives it even more of a curled, crumpled look.

(I was also still experimenting with the width of the strips as you can see here!)

After using your pliers to open your wire hanger, form it into a circle.

Poke a hole through the center of one end of your first strip of linen.

Just keep poking it through, feeding it onto the hanger into folds.

When the wreath is nice and full, use your wire cutters (or vise grips!) to cut the hanger if needed and the pliers to bend/tie the ends together, kind of like this:

I put the "tied end" on the side. If it was on the top, all of the fabric wanted to slip toward the bottom. If it was on the bottom, it just didn't look right.

I used a narrow piece of the same linen to make a tie to hang the wreath. It can be easily tucked behind the wreath so you can't see it.

And now you have it: your own linen wreath!

More pictures of the completed wreath, because I have to show at least a few more of the 10,000 pictures I took of it. (Just in case it was blinking.)

Okay, I think that's probably enough, huh? Yeah...Although I could show you the other 9,994, I will demonstrate self-control here...;)

So what do you think? Is it ugly? Boring? I'm dying to know your thoughts!

Just saw this today and headed to JoAnn Fabrics. Found the last 2.75 yards of a 100% cotton that looks EXACTLY like linen. Grabbed it, some gray ribbon, 50% off coupon and ran home. Just finished and it looks EXACTLY like yours! I love, love, love it. I put it above my WELCOME vinyl script over my foyer entrance and it looks fab! Thanks for the great idea.

Der. I deleted your email about my desk-turned-nightstand project and could only reply to you through your blog.

First, I love your wreath. And I commend you on your biceps. Tearing linen is NOT easy. It's really cute!

Second, I guess I didn't really understand your question about the desk thingy. My desk didn't have a drawer in the middle, only a little wooden piece of trim, I think it's called an apron. So when I chopped out the middle section, the apron part was sort of glued into a little groove on the side of the desk and I just hammered it until it fell off. So my nightstands do have a couple of grooves on the side that is nearest to the bed, but after I painted it black it was barely noticeable.

I don't even know if that's what you were asking me. Let me know if I missed the dartboard entirely.

Hi Jenni, This is one the most fabulous wreaths I have seen. Simply beautiful. I featured this today. Stop by and grab a featured button if you like. Thanks so much for linking to The Sunday Showcase. I greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy your week! ~ Stephanie Lynn

Jenni, this would have to be my favourite project that I have ever come across in Blogland! I am a HUGE linen fan and this wreath is GORGEOUS!!! Well done to you:) Thank you so much for sharing with such a fabulous tutorial, I cannot wait to make one (or two...or three)!! Wishing you a wonderful weekend ~ Tina x

This wreath is just amazing...I love the colors you choose and I can't wait to give it a try!! I have my coupon and would be running to Joann's if it was open!I'll be there first thing in the morning...thank you for the inspiration and so kind of you to give the instructions!~Debbie~

Love the look, colors, and the linen! Thanks so much for sharing! I cannot wait to try it! Also, many thanks for emailing me about my wreath. I left a small note of thanks on my post today.. check it out! www.notyourtypicalcrafter.blogspot.com

This wreath is so, so pretty! Just wondering - approximately how many yards did you need to make it? I have some burlap but I'd like to know if I have enough before I start cutting it into strips! Thanks!

About the length of the fabric, I was using a yard here, two yards there, so mine varied. But the length doesn't really matter so much as the width of the strips, because they fold and bunch onto the hanger so that you can't even tell they are different strips of linen. I hope that answers your question! :)

I wanted to make the wreath look really full, so I used quite a bit of linen. I want to say around three yards, maybe even four yards of linen. {It has been a couple of years, so I'm going by memory here!} I hope this helps some!

I wld love to try to make this for my niece for a house warming gift but have a few questions.... since your using a hanger you wont be able to hang it right... cause it will sag? Also I don't buy material that often can you be more specific about look alike linen? Thanks for sharing!

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